The Star & The Stone
by Elaine Vivian
Summary: A set of stories chronicling the individual events leading up to one very important event for Stars and Morris. R
1. You'll Get What You Deserve

**_*A/N: The first of a few installments of what I've been calling "The Wedding Chronicles." :)_**

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"Do you really love her?"

Morris turned around and looked at Henry as if he were insane. "Of course I do. You think I'm playin' her?" he asked incredulously.

Henry gave him a look. "You're surprised? You ain't exactly been a friend t' us, y'know."

"Yeah, but I'se different now. I ain't what I used t' be, an' you know it. Stars… _I love her_. I know you don't like me, an' I know I can't take back everythin' I did in the past, but you can't act like you know me. I mean, I came t' _ask_ _you_, didn't I? You weren't expectin' that at all."

"You're right," Henry sighed. "I wasn't expectin' it. So why don't you make sense of it for me?"

"Well, she doesn't have a father, so I couldn't ask him. An' even though Piper's her best friend, I wouldn't have felt right askin' her. So you were left, because it ain't hard t' tell that you care more about her than almost anyone else."

"Yeah, well, she's like a sister t' me. An' if anything happened to her, Piper wouldn't be able t' handle it. So of course I care. But my question is, Delancey, why do _you_ care 'bout gettin' permission?"

Morris walked up to Henry and stared down at him, sending daggers. "You may think I'se just another piece o' scum," he murmured. "I don't give a damn. I don't _need_ permission to ask her to marry me. I _want_ it. I wanna know that you trust me enough t' take care of your friend, someone who you claim is like a sister t' you. She could do a helluva lot better than me, that's true. But she chose me an' that's the way it works in our world. So if you think you can trust me with her, it'd be nice if you'd give me permission to ask her, 'cause despite what you might think, I value your opinion right now. God knows she does."

Henry straightened, trying to match Morris' height. "If you screw up once; if you bring one tear t' her eye; if you do anythin' t' hurt her even without tryin', I will find you, and I will make sure you get what you deserve. But for now, you deserve what you're askin' for. So go ahead an' ask her, but don't even think 'bout makin' a mess of things. D'you understand me, Delancey?"

Morris nodded. "I understand you just fine. And thank you, Henry. I really mean it." He spit in his hand and held it out for the other to shake.

Henry followed suit. "Yeah, whatever. Jus' don't forget what I said."

"I won't. I promise."

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_***A/N: Yes, Morris did just ask Henry permission to marry Stars and Henry did just say yes.**_


	2. The Proposal

**_*A/N: I bet you'll never guess what this one is :P_**

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_Stars' POV_

Stars looked up at the night sky. The twinkling diamonds winked at her and suddenly she felt at home on the rooftop that she'd never expected to stand upon again. It wasn't as though she didn't ever want to go there; she'd just never had the chance. Now that she was here, memories of the past year's events came rushing back to her.

"_D'you remember what else we did that night? Or I guess, what I did?"_

_She let go of his hand and turned around to face him with surprise in her eyes. "I never thought ya remembered that," she murmured._

"_I, uh… I thinks about it a lot, actually. It was nice, y'know? And… Stars?" he asked, looking her in the eyes_

_She looked right back at him. "Yeah?"_

_He kissed her then, putting one hand on the small of her back & the other on the back of her neck and pulling her as close to him as possible. She made a startled squeak but soon let her own arms wind around him, kissing him back_.

That hadn't been their first time together up on the rooftop. They'd been up there once before, when he'd kissed her for the first time. It had barely been anything, but it had been enough to spark the fire that would become what they had together.

No matter how together they had been when they had met on the roof, they didn't know what they were until the incident with his brother. And then later that night… she'd told him her name. She'd never told anyone her name before that night, not even Piper or Maxie.

"_You'se gotta real nice name, Lucy Costa. Sounds like bells ringin'."_

_She turned to him. "Ya really think it's that nice of a name?" she questioned._

_He smiled and nodded. "I do. It sounds like music—pretty music. But you'se still my Stars, no matter what, you'se always gonna be that."_

"_No matter what? I got ya for me-self no matter what?"_

_He looked into her eyes, smiled, and kissed her softly. "You'se my star, Stars. You'se that until I ain't alive no more. My star, no matter what."_

She knew what they were then, even if there weren't words to describe them; even if she had to keep it a secret from the only people in her life she could call family. Of course, those people knew now. She hadn't been there when they found out, but Piper had relayed every detail: it had gotten slightly confrontational and no one saw it coming.

When she finally had the chance to think about it, she'd been angry with him. How could he betray her trust like that? Didn't he realize how dangerous it was, letting others know? But then, he'd only been looking out for her. He'd found her when she might have been dying just to keep her alive.

She remembered what had happened to her, the feeling of being dead inside and out. She remembered the pain all over her body. She remembered his absence. He hadn't been there to save her that time.

But then she remembered his tears when he finally did come for her up in the attic of the lodging house. She remembered his words, the three words he'd never said before.

_I love you_.

And it was those words that gave her hope. It was those words that let her hold on just long enough to get better, though she knew she'd never heal completely. But for now, those three little words were enough.

"How did I know I'd find you up here?"

She knew right away who'd spoken; it was impossible to forget his voice, especially now, after all they'd been through together. She turned around and the corners of her mouth slanted upward. "Ya always find me, Morris."

He walked up to her slowly and placed his hand on her cheek. "I woulda thought you wouldn't be goin' many places. Not after what happened…"

She placed her hand over his. "I'se a dreamer. I can't stay still, an' ya know it. 'Sides, I could never resist comin' here."

He smiled and brought his other hand to her waist, pulling her close to him. "I guess that's how I knew t' come lookin' for you here," he murmured, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Speakin' of which," she began, "why'd ya come lookin' for me? Ya coulda found me later at the lodgin' house."

"I, uh… I got somethin' t' talk t' you about. An' it had t' be somewhere else. Somewhere private."

She nodded. Of course there was something. It didn't matter that the others knew, he was still a private person, even to her. "Then talk. Say what's on your mind."

* * *

_Morris' POV_

Morris pushed her back away from him a little so that they could make eye contact without her having to crane her neck. "Stars," he started. "Lucy. I ain't never known what it feels like t' be loved or t' love someone else, at least not till I met you. An'… I'se scared. Scared of what's in the future, scared of what's followin' us from the past.

"An' then I see you. You just stand there, lookin' far out past whatever's there. I dunno what you see, but I know I wanna be seein' it too. You ain't just some other girl. Everythin' bad happens t' you an' you just take it. You don't run away an' you don't get scared. The world could be endin' an' you would just stare the world straight in the eyes and say, 'Not today.' You'se never stopped bein' you. The things that happened, other people would change completely. An' if you changed at all, you don't let it show much. That's what I love about you, Stars. If everythin' else is gone to dust, I know I'll always have you.

"So what I'se sayin', Stars… I guess, what I'se tryin' t' say…" he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "There ain't one day I wanna spend without you. If I didn't have you, I dunno who I'd be. So the question that needs askin', Lucy Costa, is will you marry me?"

He dug in his pocket and produced not a ring but a glittering gold chain with a heart-shaped locket hanging from it. "I don't got a ring, but I got this. It was my mother's. So if you'll have me, it'd be nice of you t' take it."

She looked at him as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing or hearing. She put one hand on her heart, the other over her mouth, and she began to cry. Morris stuffed the necklace back into his pocket and caught her as her knees began to collapse. "What is it?" he asked urgently. "What's wrong?" He wiped the tears from her eyes. "Talk t' me, please." And then she did a most unexpected thing.

Instead of talking or sobbing, she took his head in her hands and kissed him hard on the mouth with so much force that they toppled over, and she landed on top of him.

He looked into her eyes and laughed lightly. "What was that for?" he asked as he sat them both up.

She put her arms around his neck. "Take it as my answer, Morris Delancey," she said, and she kissed him once again, though this time it wasn't so much of a surprise.


	3. Starry Eyed

**_*A/N: Well I'd say this is what everyone has been waiting for..._ :D**

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She peered in the looking glass - she had never been this… _clean_. There was rouge on her cheeks and color on her lips. Her blonde hair was washed and styled. She placed the white headband on the top of her head and let the veil fall over her made-up face. _It's all really happening_, she thought.

She heard a knock on the door and turned to see Piper, looking beautiful in her way that she always did. "Are ya ready?" she asked, holding out a bouquet.

"As I'll ever be."

But just before she stood, she looked at herself once more in the looking glass. "It's like a dream," she remarked.

Piper smiled behind her. "An' I ain't one t' rush dreams, but we've gotta go." She took Stars by the hand, but suddenly Stars gasped and pulled back.

"I almost forgot," she muttered to herself. She picked up the golden locket from the top of the dresser and fastened it around her neck. She turned to face Piper. "Now. Now I'm ready."

Stars had never felt so nervous in her entire life. Nothing could have prepared her for this. Not so long ago, she'd been afraid of falling in love, but she had let herself do so anyway. And then, she knew he'd been afraid of it, too; love wasn't exactly his sort of thing. But they'd braved it together and now they would never let anything take it away—every minute, every hour had led to what was soon to happen.

She was still scared. She'd never stayed on something this long; she'd never made a commitment this strong. But then, she'd never felt so strongly about anything or anyone. What made her feel so strongly? People had asked her that more times than she could count. She would always respond, "It's just him."

But she knew what it all was: his hands, his eyes, his smile, his voice. The way they molded together when they were together, like two pieces of a puzzle finding each other at last. The way his hands felt on her waist and her back and when his fingers tangled themselves in her hair. The way his voice sounded like his embraces felt: beautiful and warm and filled with nothing but love for her. Whenever she thought of him she was bombarded with emotion, and she didn't always know what do to with it all. _I guess I do now_, she thought to herself.

Morris' friend Mario was kind enough to let them use his townhouse for the occasion. She had told Morris that it was too lavish, too nice for her. He'd just told her that nothing was too nice for her and that Mario owed him a favor anyway. When she'd finally met Mario, she'd thanked him profusely. After all, this was probably the most important event of her life.

Piper led her to the top of the stair case and handed her off to Jojo, who'd offered to do the task of giving her away. Everyone thought that it would have been Henry, but Henry was waiting at the top of the stairs to escort Piper down. They looked so perfect together, so happy. Stars could only hope that she and Morris would be that lucky.

Jojo offered his arm and smiled at her. "You ready?" he asked. She took a deep breath and nodded, smiling back. He led her down the stairs as someone on the first floor played a sweet melody on the piano.

So many people—many more than she'd expected—were waiting. Maxie, Piper, Nado, and Muse were there. Obviously Henry and Jojo were there, but so were Specs and Albert and Romeo and Davey. Even Jack and Katherine showed up, and she definitely wasn't close to them. It really was like a dream.

And Morris, oh god, Morris! She'd never _ever_ seen him dressed so nicely. So what if it was a little wrinkled? Seeing him in anything even resembling a tuxedo or a suit nearly brought her to tears. All of it, the entire event… it was all so much to take in, especially in such a short amount of time.

Jojo walked her down the aisle that her audience had cleared for her, and he took her hand and immediately placed it in Morris'; there wasn't a millisecond in which someone didn't have a hold of her.

In less time than it had taken to begin, it ended. The minister said all of the fancy formalities, they said their piece, and they signed their contract as a means to keep everything legal. All of it was such a blur to Stars; she wasn't really "there" until they had finally done everything and the minister had said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." And then it was time for him to kiss her.

Simple.

Slow.

_Surreal_.

It was suddenly like they were the only two people in the room. He looked into her eyes in a way that he hadn't done in so long, taking a hold of her at the waist and pulling her close. She put her hands on his chest and felt him take a deep breath in as he leaned in toward her. She stood on her toes and then met him halfway, finally sealing what was meant to be after so long.

There was applause, she knew, but she didn't hear it. All she could hear was the _I love you_ that he'd said to her on the rooftop the night he'd given her the locket… the night he'd asked her to marry him. All she could feel were his hands moving from her waist to her hair and back down. It wasn't until she felt a third hand on her shoulder that they pulled apart.

Mario had taken care of almost all of the formalities of the wedding. He'd even seen that there would be no one in the house that night—including the owner himself. It must have been one big favor that he owed Morris; or perhaps he was just a lavish sort of man. Either way, Stars wasn't going to complain.

The reception was blurrier than the ceremony; everyone offered his or her congratulations to her. Most people were even cordial with Morris, some even more than just cordial. After all, they were all growing up. He couldn't be their enemy forever, no matter what he'd done in the past.

Soon it was all over, the guests gone and any evidence of the event cleared away besides the bride and groom. Morris and Stars found themselves alone in a big empty house and with what felt like the world at their fingertips.

They walked together up the staircase and down the hallway, stopping in front a bedroom doorway. Morris put one hand on his wife's waist and with the other cupped her cheek. Smiling slyly, he murmured, "So, Lucy _Delancey_… are you ready?"

She took his face in her hands and looked him deep in the eyes. "Lucy Delancey can't wait," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him softly.

He kissed her back and, without breaking the kiss, picked her up and carried her in his arms into the room. Finally, his star would shine, and he would shine with her.


	4. Promises

**_*A/N: I wrote these some time ago, and now I'm posting them. K? K. R&R. _**

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_The Wedding Vows of Lucy Costa_

There was no me before I met you. I was a girl on the street living the same life day after day and then just once I bumped into you and everything changed. I never thought I'd ever feel the way I feel for you about anyone—not even you, when we first met. I didn't think I'd ever feel love.

But there was always something between us. You didn't look at me like all the others did. You saw me as a real person instead of some expendable friend. You took care of me even before you knew you were doing so.

And I know you could do better than me. I know that I'm just a girl with no family and nothing to give you. But the reality is that you chose me, and as much as I can't believe it, I know it's true. And I know that you love me, though God knows why.

You're so afraid of losing me; I've always known that. But you have me more than you could ever know. As disastrous as we could be, we could be equally beautiful and that's all I need. Just to know what we could be.

I love you, and a life without you would be no life at all. That's why I'm standing here today: to make the promise to spend the rest of my life with _you_.

* * *

_The Wedding Vows of Morris Delancey_

I'm not too great with words. I don't know what to say now. I can't believe I even made it this far, but I guess I did. I don't know much, but I do know one thing—I wouldn't have made it here without you.

My family was never family. We were just a group of people using each other to survive, and I was the weak link. At least, I was until I met you. You taught me that I didn't have to be just one of two brothers; I could be one person on my own. At the same time, though, once you taught me that, I didn't want to be one person on my own. I mean, being someone besides my brother's brother was something I'd always wanted, but now I had something better than independence.

It was you. It was always you, ever since I met you. I've never been looked up to, just always looked down upon. But you believed in me. You were… you are my star.

Every time I'm with you it's like we've just met for the first time. And as hard as it will be, as long as you don't give up on me… we'll get through it, because you know I could never let you go.

So I'm glad to be here today. I chose you because there really was never any other option. I made the decision to let you take me, and I could never fall out of your hands now. And I know that you'll never fall out of mine.


End file.
